Postage printing die protection means



1, 1956 w. J. HANSON ET AL 2,743,668

POSTAGE PRINTING DIE PROTECTION MEANS Filed Sept. 4, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 75:15; iwm

1 l, 1956 W. J. HANSON ET AL 2,743,668

POSTAGE PRINTING DIE PROTECTION MEANS Filed Sept. 4, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FE- /O ATTORN EY United States Patent POSTAGE rmmrnso Dir. rnorncrron MEANS Walter J. Hanson, Port Chester, N. Y., and Alva G. Illussell, Stamford, Comm, assignors to Pitney-llowes, lac, Stamford, Coma, a corporation of Delaware Application September 4, 1952, Serial No. 307,866

4 Claims. (21. fill-91) This invention relates to printing die protection means associated with a movable printing die, and especially to such means for a rotary value printing device such as a postage meter to prevent the taking of value impressions at the printing position other than the legitimate impressions obtained in the normal way by causing a complete drum rotation for each impression. r

In a rotary value printing device, value impressions are adapted to be printed on letters or tape passed between a printing element and an impression roller, and inasmuch as each impression is of preset value, thesaid value'is registered'automatically Within suitable. registering mechanism in response to the printing movement. It is important, therefore, to prevent taking more than theone legitimate impression from the printing die surface at the printing position during a. printing cycle .of operation.

One means for preventing such fraudulent impressions is shown in the patenttoWalter J. Hanson and. Alva G. Russell, No. 2,568,624. In the patented device, the print ing drum is shown as enclosed in an open bottom housing,

thebottom thereof being protected by a pair of printing die guards. The space between the guards is suflicient to permit printing action of the die but insuflicient to al,

low exposure of the wholedie at any one time. In the form shown in the patent, there is an inletdie guard hinged at that side of the housing from which matter to be printed approaches, and a discharge die guard hinged to that side of the housing from which the printed matter is fed.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide means of improved structure and operation havthat of said patented device.

It is another object of the invention to dispense with the discharge die guard of the patented device and to provide equivalent protection by means of a guard carried on the printing drum and rotatable therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide guard means for a movable printing die in the form of a shutter arranged for movement bodily with the die, and for shifting movement relative to the die between positions covering and exposing the printing surface of the die, said relative movement being in response to printing movement of the die.

A'feature of the invention consists in providingmea ns for retracting the drum carried die guard to avoid interference with one or more of the hiking means, the inlet die guard, and the printing operation, together with means for projecting the drum carried die guard to guarding position when needed.

It is another feature of the invention to-so mount the drum carried die guard that it is not subject to readydising a guarding or protective effect at least e quivalent'to placement or removal from guarding position while the printing die is otherwise unprotected, as by being" opposite an opening in its housing.

:Withthe above and other objectsin view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a value postage printing and metering machine according to this invention with the printing drum in home position and with a portion of the casing broken away to illustrate the parts.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the postage meter of Fig. 1 showing the same removed from the machine base and with portions of the casing broken away to show the printing drum in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a detailed section taken approximately on line 3-7-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation looking in thedirection of Fig. 1 but illustrating the parts in printing position.

Fig. 5 is an operating diagram illustrating the position of the drum-mounted die guard for various positions of the printing drum. Y

Referring to the drawings in detail, the value printing device of the invention is illustrated in the form of a postage printing and metering machine and includes a postage meter 10 having a rotary printing drum 11 and means of known type (not shown) for registering and accumulating the value of theprintings made by the drum. The printing drum 11 carries a printing die 13 which includes value printing indic ia and which cooperates with an impression roller 15 on the machine base 17 to print the workpieces and feed the same forward. The home position of the die 13 is shown in Fig. 1, and just after leaving this position at the commencement of a printing cycle the die 13 comes into contact with an inking roller 19 inorder to receive the ink necessary for the forthcoming impression. p

The sides and top of the printing drum 11 are guarded by a tamper-proof housing 21. The bottom of the housing 21 is left open to permit the printing operation to.

take place.

When the printing die 13 is in its home position as seen in Fig. 1 or in the upper part of the housing 21, it is.

sufficiently protected against the taking of a fraudulent impression. However, in the printing position shown in.

Fig. 4 additional safeguards are desirable.

wards the printing drum, and means thereon, for example ears29, are in contact with suitable guiding portions of.

the printing drum to space the guard from the printing die 13 by a slight amount just tions of the printing drum 11 and thus prevent withdrawal of the guard member 23 outwardly away from its die guarding position. The structure, mounting and operation of the inlet guard 23 are similar in most respects to the patent and further descrip inlet guard disclosed in said tion is deemed unnecessary.

Since the guard 23 protects the printing die 13 onlyv until about the time it reaches the position of Fig. 4, it is desirable to have further means for protecting the die 13 immediately after it leaves printing position and until it is again safely disposed within the housing 21, which. means was formerly provided by the dischargedie guard according to said patent.

In the device of the'present invention, the guarding of sufficient to prevent actual I contact therewith. A stop member 31 formed on the guard 23 is arranged to lie adjacent the peripheral porthe printing die after printing is provided for by means of a guard or shutter 33 carried by the printing drum 11 for rotation therewith. The shutter 33 is a U-shaped element or bail whose ends are pivotally carried on uds 35 extending parallel to the axis of the drum 11. The shutter 33 can be swung from a guarding position overlying a portion of the printing die 13 to a retracted position in which it is disposed within the periphery vOf the drum 11 and accommodated by suitable slots 37. A torsion spring 38 is provided for urging the shutter 33 towards retracted position. According to the invention the shutter 33 is retracted during the first 90 of drum rotation to clear the inking roller 19, the inlet die guard 23 and the workpiece W during printing, and then is moved to guardi position.

Me ns. is r d d f r m n t s u e .3 n

with the angular position of the rotary drum 1], the form shown consists of a cam groove member 39 mounted on the interior of the front surface of the housing 21 and, having a groove 40 cooperating with a follower roller 41 which projects from one of the legs of the shutter 33. Since the control of the shutter 33 is needed only overthe first half of each drum rotation, the cam groove is shown as discontinuous, and having an .entrance mouth 43 and an exit 45, the shutter 33 lying in the fully retracted position under the influence of atore sion spring 38 during the remainder of each revolution V o t e dru 11.

In Fig. 5, five positions of the shutter 33 are illustrated. Reading from left to right, the first shows the shutter 33 shortly after the roller 41 has enteredthe cam groove 40 and while the die 13 is being inked by the roller 19. The second position shows the parts just as the die 13 ap-v proaches the printing location. The third position illusy trated shows the die just as it leaves printing location and after the shutter 33 is moved into full dierguarding position. In the fourth position, the roller 41 has begun to leave the exit 45 and the shutter 33 has begun to retract from its guarding position due to the influence of spring 39. The f fth showing indicates the position of the shutter 33 its fully retracted position where it remains until the roller 41 again enters the mouth 43 as the drum 11 omes to hom po i -i The speed at which the shutter 33 is moved, as determined the slOpe of the cam groove 40 is preferably such that the shutter 33 will envelope one end of the die 13 as rapidly as the other end escapes from the protection of inlet guard 23, so that no more than a prescribed guard 23 and the shutter 33, the die 13 is never fully exposed while near the printing position at the bottom of the housing 21, but is only progressively exposed to print postage on a workpiece passing between itself and the impression rollCr 1, 5. The amount of the die length which it is permissible to expose at any one time depends somewhat on the subject matter being printed and the location of critical portions thereof on the die. The guarding ar.- rangenient is such, however, that the die portion exposed between guards 23 and 33 is never a substantial one insofar as the chance for taking a forged or fraudulent imre s n is nc rned n the m of e i ent on .ill e trat d i th dra ng no more h about hre quar e s of the surface of die 13, is ever. exposed at any one time nd a e e ea s h P in in po i i n. he shutter 3 is erra sedt Preven p in i g of e alue ndi at n 7 portion of the die. This portion, indicated by reference 7 printing die, and is made up of settable wheels 48 (Fig. 3) in a known manner.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that the present invention provides a novel die protecting structure for a movable value printing die arranged in such manner that danger of interference with the workpieces passing rapidly through the machine in the normal way is largely removed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a value printing device having a rotary printing drum carrying a printing die thereon, said die having a value indicating part and a casing surrounding said drum and having an opening adjacent the drum periphery to permit printing contact of a workpiece with said drum; means defining a printing location opposite a portion of said opening; means for protecting said printing die against the taking of fraudulent impressions while in the icini y o s id ppchi gsompr si g a sh t er mounted n a d drum and shi t h e relat v o the d between a Proc ine PQ iiQQ lose y o er yin nd c ve ng a east u an ia Por ion .ot th a u nd tin part o the P nt n urface o the die to pr en h t k ng oi as mp sio Q the co e ed p tion, n a ed pos tion clear of the die surface to permit the taking of an mp s on; nd m ans o shif the s e t pr t ct n position when said die portion is near said opening but not at printing position.

2. In a value printing dev ce having a rotary printing drum carrying a printing die thereon and a casing s'ur-j o g s ru and h vin n p ing djace t the drum periphery to permit printing contact of a workpiece withsaid drum; means defining a printing location oppo i a po tion o s i openi mean or pr ect ng said printing die against the taking of fraudulent impressions while n h icinity at a d pening comp i ing a hutt ed on ai dru and sh ta lc lati e to t e di between a protecting position closely overlying and CQV? grins at l a a s bst t a p i n of he p i t ng su i ce of the die to prevent the taking of an impression of the o e d p r on, an a r tra ted posi io Clear o the die surface n ahea o th die to pe mi the ak n of an p si n; an m ans to shi t th s u er o protec ng p o e s d ie port n i e r s id openingrbut y d Pr nt ng pos tion.

3 n al sp int ng device ha i g a o ary pri ti d f ed ng r m arry n a Printing d e hereon and a casing surrounding said drum and having an opening adjacent the drum periphery to permit printing contact of a pie w th a d d um; m an d i g a pr n ing and feeding oca o oppos te po ion of sa d o ening; devices for protecting said printing die against the taking of f ulent mpressions w i e i he vicini y of. a

p n ng comprisin a guard c rr ed by the casing andv i i n a o er n pos on w th e at o to ne P91.-

tion of the Printing sh ace oi t di il h die is.

in he icin y bf he opening and further comprisin a Sh t mounted 0. 1 sa d. d um nd sh tab rela v t the die between a protectingposition closely overlying and" covering a portion oi the printing surface of the die before the trailing, nd of. t e diepa ses bey n the guard, th die s f e ein oth w se pa lly p s d to pe the taking of animpression therefrom at the said op.en-' s; n means to shitt he shutt r rom e cove in p t o o a r racted po tio 7 4. In a value printin device ha n a rota y p int ng rumsarrying a Pr n ing e h nrsaid die having a.

said opening; neans for protecting said printing die against the. taki of fraudulent impressions while in the vicinity of said opening comprising a shutter mounted on said drum and having a usshaped transverse section with the lower bridging portion thereof extendedxin one-J direction and shiftable relative to the die to place the extended bridging portion in a protecting position closely overlying and covering a substantial portion of the printing surface of the die to prevent the taking of a fraudulent impression while the covered portion is in the vicinity of the opening in the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,451 Eller June 4, 1929 6 Wheeler et a1. Aug. 30, 1932 Wheeler et al Apr. 18, 1933 Sanglier et a1 July 10, 1934 Moore Mar. 28, 1939 Ogden Nov. 7, 1939 Hanson et al Sept. 18, 1951 

